Map Banner

One of my best friends is moving to Arizona so my girlfriends and I wanted to throw her a going away party.  I wanted to throw something really cute and fun so I searched good ole Pinterest for ideas that I could use to decorate and throw this party.  One theme I settled on was a map theme, I used it for everything we did, from a banner that hung over the tables, to wrapped bottles for drinking, to flags in the cupcakes.  I used maps for everything that had to do with the party. I will add some photos of the party later,  I forgot to download them as I am typing this.  Love the ideas I found and think it turned out great.

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Making Old or Ugly Things New

This is such a fun thing to do and so easy and you can virtually do it with about anything.  I found an owl and a Nome that were bright pink and they were so cute but I really wanted them to match my red living room, so I painted them red and they turned out perfect.  I also found the cutest lanterns at Target but they were blue so I took a can of spray paint to them as well and they now match perfectly.  Sometimes it is hard for us to think outside the box, especially when we are looking at old things but you can pretty much take anything and alter it how you want too.  I especially love the camera in this picture, I so want to do that for my house but paint it red of course.

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Original pin can be found here: http://makezine.com/craft/from_craft_kitsch_to_cool/

Making bakers twine

I love this pin and it is actually something my mom showed me how to do before I ever saw the pin.  This is such a great way to make bakers twine.  You just get this thread or twine, get some sharpies or the markers they suggest.  Sharpies work just as well and you can get so many colors plus the markers they use are a lot more expensive.  You take the twine and wrap it around a ruler and then color it about every inch or so.  It is so easy, I always do it when I am sitting and watching t.v.  and it makes it goes by so fast.  I am so glad people come up with these ideas, aren't you??

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Original pin can be found here: http://thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/make-your-own-bakers-twine/

Covering your folding chairs

Well I did my table so I had to do my chairs too.  This time I just used the fabric and not the plastic and was it ever so easy.  I also spray painted the metal on the chairs red to match my craft room. Seriously, it took me about 15 minutes, cost me about 5 dollars and was so, so easy and the results are awesome.  I love my new chairs!!!

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Original pin can be found here: http://www.curbly.com/users/alicia/posts/14390

Covering your Card Table

I have to apologize that it has been a whole month since I last posted a test.  This summer has been super crazy and I have hardly had time to  breathe. None the less I am testing new tests this weekend and next week and I will continue testing so there should no longer be such a long break on the blog.  Thank you to all of you who have continued to follow the blog, I have been so surprised and so happy at the success of the blog and I hope that it keeps growing and continues to be a help to everyone out there.  With that being said here is a new test....

I love my card table, maybe a little too much, I use it for all of my crafting needs and it has hot glue and paint and stains all over it so I was so excited to see this new pin to cover your card table.  I actually got the idea to cover it from seeing a pin to cover your folding chairs and I thought if I can do the chairs then I can do the table and then low and behold I found this pin.  It was really easy to cover the table.  I could not find a vinyl table cloth that I loved so I just bought fabric and the plastic you can buy in yards at the fabric store(i got mine at hobby lobby).   You just unscrew that table top, staple the new fabric or table cloth to the top and then screw it back in, thats it!! Easy, peasy!! The only thing I suggest is that you make sure the staples are smaller and that you staple far enough in that when you screw it back on it does not hit the table.  I ran into a small problem of my staples being too long and coming out the other side and I also stapled them in too close to the edge so it was a lot harder to put my top back on but with a hammer and some muscle I got it done and I LOVE IT and everyone who sees it loves it.  Thank you to the genius people, once again, on Pinterest.  So for my top five, it was easy and it is effective.  I love it because I can just wipe it down so easy now.  It did not take me that long, maybe a half hour and I only spent about six dollars to do it and it is very practical for anyone to do.

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The original pin can be found here: http://thebeardedfamily.blogspot.com/2012/05/i-should-title-this-post-reason-10900.html?showComment=1336876996387

Transforming your ordinary stools

This was such a fun pin and I was so excited to find it.  I had not thought to cover my stools but I love that someone thought of it.  This was easy to do and made my stools look so much better than before.
Get yourself a little bit of fabric, foam and about a half hour and transform your stools to something better.

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Original pin can be found here:
 http://aloandbeholdlife.blogspot.com/2012/09/repurposed-kitchen-stools.html

PAPER STARS

I LOVE THESE, HOW CUTE ARE THEY?  I WOULD LOVE TO PUT THEM ALL OVER MY HOUSE.  THESE ARE SO EASY TO MAKE AND SUCH A FUN CRAFT TO NOT ONLY DO BY YOURSELF BUT ALSO WITH THE KIDS.  THESE ARE EVEN EASIER IF YOU ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A SILHOUETTE.

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ORIGINAL PIN CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://wendysueanderson.blogspot.com/2012/07/hi-there-its-eve-of-4th-of-july-and-my.html

PAPER CONES

THIS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHY I LOVE PINTEREST BUT DISLIKE IT AT THE SAME TIME.  I UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES IT IS EASIER TO JUST BUY SOMETHING RATHER THAN MAKE IT ON YOUR OWN AND OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE HAVE STORES AND USE PINTEREST TO PROMOTE THEIR BUSINESS BUT WHEN YOU SELL SOMETHING THAT IS SO EASILY ACCESSIBLE FOR FREE IT SEEMS SILLY TO ME. THIS PIN IS FOR A STORE THAT SELLS THE PATTERN TO MAKE THESE CONES BUT YOU CAN GET A PATTERN FOR THESE CONES ON LINE FOR FREE AND IN A SNAP.   THESE CONES ARE SUPER EASY TO MAKE, SUPER EASY TO FIND A PATTERN AND ARE AN AWESOME IDEA FOR MAKING FORMS TO MAKE TREES RATHER THAN BUYING THOSE EXPENSIVE FOAM CONES AT THE STORE.  JUST DO A SEARCH FOR CONE PATTERN AND ALL KINDS WILL POP UP FOR YOU.  SORRY TO THE PERSON WHO IS SELLING THE PATTERN FOR TAKING ANY BUSINESS AWAY FROM YOU, I AM ALL FOR USING PINTEREST TO PROMOTE BUSINESS.

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NUMBER TABLE RUNNER

I LOOOOVED THIS PROJECT!!! SOMETIMES I MAKE THINGS AND THEY LOOK HOMEMADE OR THEY DO NOT TURN OUT RIGHT BUT I MADE TWO OF THESE AND IT LOOKED STORE BOUGHT AND IT WAS NOT EVEN HARD TO GET IT TO LOOK THAT WAY.  I COULD LOVE SOMETHING THAT SIMPLE MORE THAN THIS.  THE DROP CLOTH IS THE PERFECT MATERIAL FOR THIS PROJECT AND PAINTING IT WAS SUPER EASY.  IT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT MESS UP AND YOU TRACE THE LETTERS RIGHT BUT OTHER THAN THAT IT WAS FUN TO MAKE AND TURNED OUT SO CUTE.  I AM GOING TO USE MINE TO DECORATE AROUND BACK TO SCHOOL TIME.

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ORIGINAL PIN CAN BE FOUND HERE: http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/ruler-drop-cloth-table-runner#slide-2

Writing on a Board

Ok, so maybe I have been spoiled, I have always had a cricut or some sort of machine to help me cut out the letters I wanted on a board and I have to say, good thing, because this did not work at all. It was hard to press the pen/pencil down to make the letter, it was a pain and it did not turn out without imperfections. I am guessing you have to have a really steady hand and A LOT of practice to get this one done in a way that looks nice.  It is still way easier to use stickers or a die cut machine to get the letters you want.

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Getting Acrylic Paint out of Clothes

Swab a little rubbing alcohol onto your acrylic stain and TADAA!! it's gone.  I am so glad I found this, I get so much acrylic paint on my clothes, I am not the cleanest painter out there.  Now I have clothes that are renewed and not ruined anymore and it cannot get much easier than this and cheap, too.

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Orignal pin can be found here: http://claudinehellmuth.blogspot.com/2010/01/how-to-remove-acrylic-paint-from-your.html

Glue Ornaments

I love this idea and these were so fun to make.  They turn out so cool and almost see through.  When I did them I thought how cool they would look as snowflakes.  This is a fun activity for kids and adults.  Just make sure you use ALOT of glue and make them thick or they are really thin and see through, which still looks cool but not like these in the picture.  Since you can get a bottle of glue for about 50 cents you cannot get a much cheaper activity.

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Original Pin can be found here: http://www.marthastewart.com/276330/christmas-ornaments-for-kids/@center/307034/christmas-workshop

DIY spray glue

When I first looked at the recipe, my first thought was that this was not much different than mod podge but I thought I would try it out.  Guess what, it is just like mod podge! It is nowhere as sticky and strong as normal spray glue and makes everything really wet, which spray glue does not do.  I did not like this for spray glue but it certainly could be used as mod podge instead.

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Ric Rac Flower Hair Clips

I thought these were so cute and they were not hard at all to make.  The only thing that took a little bit of time was having to sew the two pieces of ric rac together.  Other than that this took hardly anytime and these turned out so cute.  I really love the look of them. 

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Original pin can be found here: http://www.duitang.com/people/mblog/46568845/detail/

Glitter Clothespin

I have to say I love this idea and it is so easy and cheap to make.  How fun would it be to have a present closed with these, or these with a magnet on the back to put anywhere, or just to give a bunch of these as a gift.  They really just make me happy :)

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Original pin can be found here: http://thoughtfullysimple.blogspot.com/2012/07/glitter-smitter.html?m=0

Ribbon Bookmarks and Paper Clips

I love this idea and it is so easy to make.  Just take your ribbon and tie around a cute paperclip.  This would be so cute to give as a gift and you really cannot get something much easier and cheap. Great idea and so easy to do.  Who wouldn't love getting a bunch of these to use around the house?

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Original post can be found here: http://www.goodlifeeats.com/books/8-cute-diy-bookmark-ideas

Skittles Paint

This pin states that you can put skittles in water and then use it as paint.  I did not like this pin at all, while the skittles did turn into paint, the paint was really, really light and was hard to see once on the paper. Plus, unless you already have skittles you have to go buy some and the cost of skittles is more expensive than paints.  It does smell good though. 

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Paint Bags for Kids

This pin has you put paint in a ziploc bag and then let you kids play with it like that. 

 The paint was really hard to get mixed around in the bags and I did not want to tape them to my table because it would take the finish off.  The paint was really hard to move around and would be hard for the kids to get to move around, especially how they would want it too.  Kids would give up pretty easy on this one.

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DIY Slime and SIlly Putty

I am putting these two together because they are the exact same recipe. I have tried slime recipes before that have worked but I could not get this one to work at all.  Despite kneading it and stirring it forever it never came to the right consistancy.  You can see in the picture that it was stringy and crumbly.  It never became one solid piece like it should have.  I will be sticking to my other slime recipe for the future. 

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Using Sharpies on Dishes

I thought it would be fun to put little messages at the bottom of my kids cereal bowl.  I have always only used glass paint so I was glad to see this pin.  It made it easy to write something on the dishes.  This did not work, the writing came off after about two washes and that was it.  So, I guess it is better to just stick with glass paint if you want it to stick and stay.

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